Sentinel Homecare Limited

The inspection took place between the 20 and 28 June 2018 and was announced.

At the last inspection in June 2017 we rated the provider as requires improvement. We had concluded that improvements had been made since the previous inspection in 2016 but some issues remained with the accuracy and completeness of documentation. We found one breach of regulation relating to good governance.

At this inspection we found further improvements had been made and the service was no longer in breach of any regulations. Feedback from people about the quality of the service was good. The service was committed to continuous improvement of the service and took feedback and complaints seriously. Because of this we rated the service good across all domains.

A registered manager was in place. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are 'registered persons'. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

People told us they felt safe and secure using the service. Safeguarding issues were taken seriously by the service and appropriately reported and acted on. Risks to people's health and safety were assessed and mitigated.

There were enough staff deployed to ensure people received a timely and consistent service. People said staff usually arrived on time and did not miss calls. Staff were recruited safely to help ensure they were suitable to work with vulnerable people.

Overall medicines were managed safely. Clear records were maintained of the support people were provided with. Some medicine care plans needed updating to ensure they reflected people's current support needs.

Staff received a range of appropriate training relevant to their role. Support mechanisms were in place which included regular supervision and appraisal. Improvements had been made to staff rotas to ensure people received a higher level of continuity with regards to care workers.

People's nutritional needs were assessed and plans of care put in place to meet those needs.

The service was compliant with the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). People's consent was sought before care and support was delivered.

People's care needs were assessed and plans of care put in place for staff to follow. The service worked with external health professionals to help meet people's needs.

People said staff treated them with kindness and compassion. People said they usually received care from the same care workers who they had become familiar with.

The service planned care and support around maintaining and promoting people's independence.

People's views and opinions were regularly sought by the service and used to make improvements to the service. These included taking complaints and comments seriously and using them to improve working practices.

The service had a comprehensive governance framework in place which included regular auditing and checking of how the service was operating. Findings from audits and checks were used to make further improvements to the service.

The service accessed best practice guidance to inform policies and procedures and help ensure a consistent and high standard quality of care.

The five questions we ask about services and what we found